The National Ozone Unit (NOU) and the Energy Division (ED) of the Ministry of Finance and Energy extend condolences to the family of Mr. Sebastien Paul and members of staff of SP’s International Trading on the untimely death of Mr. Paul.

Mr. Paul has been an extremely close stakeholder to both the NOU and the ED, as the sole distributor of Natural Refrigerants in Grenada and as a supplier of Energy Efficient appliances. Mr. Paul and his company’s relationship goes back as far as November 2006 when he first introduced the Abro line of Hydrocarbon Refrigerants to local refrigeration and air-conditioning technicians. Subsequently, this refrigerant has been distributed to several other Caribbean countries. Hydrocarbon refrigerants are favoured over other refrigerants because of their negligible ozone depleting and zero global warming potentials as well as their higher energy efficiency.

SP’s International Trading has always been a very active participant in several of the Hydrocarbon Technology Retrofit Demonstrations held by the NOU and the Energy Efficiency Exhibitions held by the Energy Division to commemorate Energy Week in Grenada. The Company also worked very closely with the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) and has been a main supporter of their many activities

This is indeed a huge loss of a great man, with a generous heart.

Mr. Paul died on Friday March 3rd, 2017. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Opportunities in transition to hydrocarbons in small-island developing states

With low demand power and high dependency on availability and accessibility of equipment in surrounding countries, small-island developing states face unique challenges in their efforts to leapfrog into low-GWP alternatives, such as hydrocarbons. A side-event to a recent Montreal Protocol meeting outlined not only barriers, but also opportunities and possibilities for the way forward.

_______________________________

During the 33rd Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol a side-event was organised by the UNEP OzonAction to discuss the special challenges of small-island developing states (SIDS) in phasing out ozone depleting substances (ODS) as well as in their efforts to transition to climate-friendly alternatives. Out of 197 Parties to the Montreal Protocol, 39 are recognised by the United Nations to be part of the group of small islands developing countries.

Unique challenges of small-island states

While different specific challenges apply to each of the island states the speakers agreed that the unavailability and difficult accessibility of ozone- and climate-friendly alternatives is one of the most significant challenges. These islands are essentially technology takers highly dependent on the international trade and availability of the equipment in countries in their proximity. Lack of information and limited amount of human and financial resources to handle alternative technologies are additional major challenges, which need to be addressed.

At the same time, small islands are exposed to global environmental challenges and external economic shocks, which has been recognised in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

Several thoughts on the way forward were shared:

Public education and awareness raising

Capacity building – training

Financial incentives to encourage transition to low-GWP alternatives

Building regulatory infrastructure – codes and standards

Opportunities for ‘leap-frogging’ to low-GWP alternatives

Mr Leslie Smith from the National Ozone Unit in Grenada highlighted some of the key reasons why SIDS need to be looking at ‘leap-frogging’ into long-term environmentally sound alternatives to ODS. “We need to avoid triple or multiple phase-outs of HFCs technologies”, he stressed. Moreover, ‘leap-frogging’ can lead to avoidance of approximately of 8.8 GT CO2eq by 2050.

In his presentation, he suggested the following approaches to ‘leap-frogging’:

Avoid HFC technology selection for new equipment as much as possible

Replace HFC equipment in service with low-GWP alternative where possible

Improve training, recovery and recycling

Introduce or amend to codes and standards

Introduce disposal and destruction technologies

“We must ensure that our ODS legislation include or is amended to include HFC control and in so doing we can impose restrictions on HFC import by simply amending the legislation that we have”, Mr Smith added.

Mauritius targets phase-out of HCFCs 5 years ahead of deadline

Mr Rajenda Kumar Foolmaun from the Ministry of Environment & Sustainable Development of Mauritius highlighted that the objective is to implement the HCFC phase-out programme 5 years ahead of the deadline period of 2030 and explained that this will be possible especially as a result of a good collaboration among all stakeholders in Mauritius. In addition, since there are only two entry points (airport and harbour) to the country, the control of imported goods is very effective. Mr Foolmaun mentioned that some of the key aspects that need to be implemented include not only awareness campaigns and training of technicians, but also introduction of incentives for the use of low-GWP alternatives, such as hydrocarbons.

“There is a very important need to strengthen multilateral agreement between developed countries and SIDS for empowerment and technology transfer of the latest technology, not second-hand equipment”, Mr Foolmaun stressed. In addition, the cooperation among SIDS needs to be reinforced so that they can share experience and have a common voice.

All members of the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) as well as other interested Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technicians in Grenada are invited to attend a Special General Meeting of the Association.
This meeting is scheduled for Thursday the 27th of June, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. at the T A Marryshow Community College, Tanteen, St. George’s.
The meeting will discuss among other things

The introduction of the new President

The Association’s Work Plan for the fiscal year 2012-2013,

Training opportunities

An update on the Association’s operation over the last 6 months

All are asked to make a special effort to attend and to be on time. For further information, please contact any member of the executive or call telephone number 409-0025 or 414-5786.”

St. George’s Grenada, Thursday April 04, 2013: The Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) at a Special General Meeting called for members on Thursday April 4th, 2013, elected a new President to govern the affairs of the Association. The meeting was called after outgoing president Mr. Henry Frederick tendered his resignation on March 8th, 2013, having served in the position for approximately four months.

The new President, Mr. Augustine John was elected unopposed by the members present at the meeting. Mr. John who is a former school principal and a former Government Minister, pursued his studies in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning in Germany and brings over twenty (20) years experience to the executive.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. John thanked the members for the confidence they have placed in him and pledged his full commitment to advance the aims and objectives of the association.

As part of his early responsibilities as President, the members issued a mandate to Mr. John to undertake as a priority the following activities: constitutional review, establishment of working committees, a newsletter publication and a review of the current annual work plan of the association.

The National Ozone Unit (NOU) would like to extend congratulations to Mr. John and wish him well in his tenure as President of the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association.

Monday March 18, 2013: The National Ozone Unit (NOU) of Grenada in collaboration with GRENCASE, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) will be providing skills training for a number of persons in Grenada who are interested in getting into the field of refrigeration and air-conditioning.

The eight (8) weeks long training, which began on Monday March 18th, 2013, focuses on the fundamentals of refrigeration and air-conditioning and will be conducted by experts from the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association. The training is scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the GRENCASE Conference Room on Young Street, St. George’s and will include both theoretical and practical components. The course outline includes topics such as: Introduction to Refrigeration, the Refrigerant Cycle, Thermodynamics, Tools and Equipment, Safe Practices, Basic Trouble Shooting, among others.

The idea behind this type of training is to create awareness, interest and encouragement for persons to enter the field of refrigeration and air-conditioning, but more importantly, to expose them at an early stage to Good Refrigeration Practices. Additionally, the training is seen as an opportunity to empower the participants to be able to create their own employment opportunities.

The NOU and GRENCASE are extremely satisfied with the outcome of the registration of applicants for the program; the course was over subscribed within one week of its announcement. This initiative to partner with GRENCASE to deliver this type of training is part of Grenada’s implementation activities under the Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) to phase out ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

On Thursday November 03, the twelve (12) students who were awarded scholarships by the National Ozone Unit to pursue the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning course at the T A Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) for the 2011-2012 academic year, paid a courtesy call to the office of the National Ozone Unit (NOU).

During the visit the students met and held discussions with the National Ozone Officer, Mr. Leslie Smith. Among the many issues discussed were: academic performance, changes in the scholarship program, challenges and expectations and plans for an exhibition to showcase the skills acquired.

From the discussions it was evident that the students were highly motivated and were satisfied with their performances at the college. They further reiterated their commitment to make best use of the opportunity presented to them by the NOU and TAMCC. The students spoke highly of the lecturers at the college in relation to how the information is presented and the deliberate effort by the lecturers to ensure that they understand what is presented.

The National Ozone Officer (NOO) in addressing the students, reminded them of the primary objectives of the scholarship program and the need for them to take seriously and to make the best use of this opportunity especially at a time when there is a great need for persons with skills in this sector in Grenada. The NOO also reminded the students of the challenge given to them at the scholarship presentation ceremony by the Honorable Michael Church, former Minister of the Environment, to put on an exhibition at the end of their training to demonstrate what they have learnt from the two years at TAMCC.

The scholarship program is an integral component of Grenada’s Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) and seeks to provide young and aspiring Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) technicians with training in Good Refrigeration practices at the inception of their career development. It is further expected that in doing so there will be a deliberate effort to prevent the release of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), particularly refrigerants, into the atmosphere and aid in the preservation, protection and healing of the fragile ozone layer.

This is the second year of the scholarship program. The program is implemented in conjunction with the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA). To date, twenty-two students have benefitted from the program.

Grenada celebrated International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer on Friday September 16th, 2011. To commemorate this day, the National Ozone Unit in the Energy Division in the Ministry of Finance, held its second Annual Scholarship Award Ceremony for students pursuing the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning course at the T A Marryshow Community College (TAMCC).

During the ceremony, in addition to the funding provided to facilitate the twelve scholarship students, the National Ozone Unit (NOU) also presented TAMCC with several cylinders of refrigerants containing R-600a, R-290 (hydrocarbons) and R-410A refrigerants.

Hydrocarbon technology is widely regarded as the refrigerant technology of the future since it does not deplete the ozone layer or affects the climate system and has the additional advantage of being significantly more energy efficient than many of the technologies currently in use.

This initiative is part of Grenada’s HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP). In phasing out these Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), Grenada will be introducing alternatives with low global warming potential (GWP) and better energy efficacies.

Twelve (12) successful applicants of the National Ozone Unit scholarship program will be awarded scholarships to pursue the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning program at T.A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) for the year 2011 – 2012.

A scholarship committee comprising of representatives from the National Training Agency (NTA), Ministry of Education, TAMCC, Grenada Refrigeration Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) and the National Ozone Unit (NOU), met on Tuesday to review and selected the successful candidates from over 20 applications received.

Successful applicants were required to meet the TAMCC entry level requirements and to write a 300 word essay on “How the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) Industry can protect the Stratospheric Ozone Layer” . Other factors considered in the selection process included: economic need, geographic representation and gender equity.

This is the second year of the scholarship programme. The program is scheduled to be completed in the year 2015. This programme is one of the activities included in Grenada’s Hydrochlofluorcarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

Students pursuing the RAC programme at TAMCC would be exposed to training in Good Refrigeration Practices aimed at preventing the release of harmful ozone depleting refrigerant gases into the atmosphere. The gases damage the stratospheric ozone layer and allow excessive amounts of harmful ultra violet light to reach the earth’s surface. This results in serious health problems for humans, reduction in plant growth and yields and acceleration in the degradation of materials in nature.

Partnering with the NOU in this project for the second straight year is the Grenada Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA). GRAVA is providing the students with toolkits consisting of tools needed for their practical classes.

The scholarships provided cover all fees related to TAMCC inclusive of, books, uniforms, tuition and other fees, as well as, a selection of basic tools. During 2010/2011 academic year ten (10) students benefitted from the program. A total of twenty-two (22) students are beneficiaries of the program thus far. One of the students – Denis Lyons – is currently on the Dean’s List at TAMCC, with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of over 3.5 on a 4.0 grading system.

To date the total funds committed by the NOU for the two years of the scholarship program is in excess of EC$20,000.00. Funding is made available by the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as the implementing agency

An official ceremony, to present the students with their scholarship packages, is scheduled for Friday September 16th, 2011, TAMCC Friday September 16th , coincides with International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer as declared by the United nations General Assembly and is celebrated world-wide every year.

The following is the list of successful applicants for the NOU/GRAVA Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Scholarship Program for the year 2011/2012 at TAMCC:

Klinsman Bedeau, Gouyave, St. John’s, Mc Donald College

Curtly Collymore, Mt. Silly, St. Andrew’s, St. And. Ang. Sec. School

Dinard Charles, Bonair, St. Mark’s, St. Mark’s Secondary

Ron Darbeau, Bonair, St. Mark’s, St. Mark’s Secondary

Shaquille George, Windsor Forest, St. David’s, Happy Hill Secondary

Floyd Gooding, Mt. Plasir, St. John’s, P.B.C.

Alison James, La Tante, St. David’s, Grenville Secondary Sch

Levon Jeremiah, Munich, St. Andrew’s, Grenville Secondary Sch

Chad Licorish, Vincennes, St. David’s, Grenada Boys Sec. Sch

Demian Matthew, Morne Fendue, St. Patrick’s, Mc Donald College

Kishon Panchoo*, Tivoli, St. Andrew’s, G’da S.D.A. Comprehensive

Dillon Pollydore, Windward, Carriacou, Hillsborough, Carriacou

Casmir Thomas, Westerhall, St. George’s, Grenada Boys Sec. Sch

* This student has received funding from another source and will only receive only the toolkit component of the scholarship.

As the National Ozone Unit evaluates the first year of its Refrigeration and Air-conditioning scholarship program, the NOU recognises the outstanding performances of the first group of students enrolled in the program.

A report from the TA Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) where scholarship recipients are pursuing a two year program in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning indicates that after the second semester all the students performed well and recorded a Grade Point Average (GPA) of over 2.0 on a 4.0 grading system.

One of the recipients of the scholarship, Denis Lyons performed exceptionally well during the second semester and was placed on the Dean’s list after achieving a GPA of over 3.5.

In a brief exchange with the National Ozone Officer, Denis attributes his success to his commitment to his studies, his passion for the area of study and his determination to make optimum use of the scholarship opportunity. He also praises the lecturers at TAMCC for the manner in which they present the material that facilitates the learning process and for the motivation that they provide.

Denis performed well in all courses but singles out domestic refrigeration and welding and brazing as his favorite subjects areas, although he was quick to add that he wants specialise in commercial air-conditioning and control systems.

The young student was also high in praise to the National Ozone Unit for opportunity afforded him and the other nine students in the program. He lamented that coming from a rural community it would have been difficult to find all the funding necessary for the two year of study. He encourages the other students to rise above the challenges and make optimum use of the opportunity.

The National Ozone Unit offers its congratulations to all of the scholarship students and would like to particularly recognize the outstanding accomplishment of Denis Lyons.

In the meantime applications are being received for the second group of student to be enrolled in the program. The deadline for submission of applications is Friday August 26th, 2011. Application forms are available at the National Ozone Unit and the T A Marryshow Community College.

Applications are invited from persons interested in benefitting from the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Scholarship Program sponsored by the National Ozone Unit in conjunction with the Grenada Refrigeration, Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association to attend the two year Refrigeration and Air-conditioning program at the T A Marryshow Community College for the semester beginning September 2011.

Ten (10) scholarships will be awarded to successful applicants for the first year of the course of the 2011/2012 academic year. Applicants must meet the TAMCC entry requirements for the course and will have to complete a 300 word essay on: “The importance of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in Protecting the Stratospheric Ozone Layer.”

Application forms are available at TAMCC, and the National Ozone Unit in the Energy Division, Ministry of Finance.

All applications must be submitted to the National Ozone Unit, on or before August 26th, 2011. Applicant must also submit a recent passport size photo and copies of their CXC examination results.

For further information, kindly contact the National Ozone Unit on telephone numbers: 435-8708 or 409-8128 or e-mail energydivisionou@gmail.com